


Blind at the Roots of Flowers

by NotEvenThat



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Human, Asexual Raphael Santiago, Coffee Shops, Crimes & Criminals, Domestic Fluff, Established Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago, F/F, F/M, First Dates, Fluff and Angst, Harassment, Infatuation, Kissing, M/M, Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood First Meet, Multi, Mundane Magnus Bane/Mundane Alec Lightwood, New York City, Organized Crime, POV Magnus Bane, Past Magnus Bane/Camille Belcourt, Stalking, Threats of Violence, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-09-30 16:17:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17227283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenThat/pseuds/NotEvenThat
Summary: Magnus Bane had never been as happy or in love as he felt with Alexander Lightwood. Every day felt like a gift. Every moment that Magnus spent with him felt like the best moment of his life, the next topping the last every time. He felt for the first time in a long time that the best of his life was not behind him. He was excited for the future and he felt like nothing in the entire world could tear them apart and break down everything they'd started to build together.Then again, he hadn't exactly known what they were up against either.





	1. Daffodil

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been a long time coming. It's been a thing for over a year now and with a completely planned probably 60+ chapter outline, I'm very excited to actually be starting it. 
> 
> There's a couple of things that I'd like to point out before you start reading; Though this is a Malec fic, this is also a Saphael (and eventually Saphael + Izzy) fic. Around chapter five, they will become more important characters. There will be chapters from their POV's and their part of the story is very important. You can only read the Malec side if you'd like, I'm not going to tell you how to read it but you will not understand what is happening. This might not be the story for you if you're only interested in reading about Magnus and Alec. 
> 
> This is also a fic that deals with a lot of heavy topics. I've tagged general violence (because I'm not exactly sure what will make it into the final cut of chapters, so I don't want to tag more specifically before it happens) but I would like everyone to be aware right off the bat, if you decide to read this story, that there will be a lot of violence and though it may not come for 10-20+ chapters, there is a dark underlying story that will start to take form and if you don't like stories dealing with crime, violence, gore and heartbreak this may not be the story for you. That being said, I will absolutely update the tags with every chapter that comes out and I will be as specific as possible and also add warnings in the beginning notes if I think something warrants that.

Someone at the far end of the tunnel let out a piercing scream and every single person in the crowded, loud subway station turned to look except Magnus Bane. In his headphones, Magnus was listening to an old Greek song he’d downloaded for work once and then promptly forgot about, though he wasn’t listening to the song or even the people around him.

Instead, his mind was miles away. Moments ago, all he’d been able to think about was the fact that he was late for work and the fact that everyone around him was being far too loud for his early commute. He’d forgotten everything he needed for work that morning and he hadn’t even left early enough to stop at his favorite coffee shop, which he had made a habit of.

Now, all Magnus could think about was Camille Belcourt because of course, even months after they’d broken up and he’d stopped talking to her completely, she’d managed to force her way back into his life again. She’d managed to get under his skin and bother him. She’d managed to somehow become the center of Magnus’ attention _again_ and even standing in the middle of New York, surrounded by people shoving and pushing, with everyone but him watching this small child that had just barely been stopped before falling into the train tracks, Magnus could see nothing but the haunting image of Camille Belcourt behind his eyes.

All with a single text message too. It hadn’t even taken a voicemail this time. Magnus hadn’t even seen her- hell, she could be halfway across the world for all he knew but none of that mattered because Camille always knew exactly what to say to bother him, to lure him back in, to infect him again like a parasite, a heartworm that wouldn't go away no matter how many pills Magnus took, no matter how many times he’d tried to purge himself of her completely.

She hadn’t even needed to say it was her. Magnus had blocked her number long ago and every number that she’d contacted him with after that. He’d even changed his own phone number- what was it? Three times now? -and yet, she always found him. Sometimes, it didn’t even take a day before she was there again. Magnus didn’t answer her. He hadn’t for months but that didn’t matter because Camille knew he always looked.

It was a silent conversation between them, one that Camille always had the upper hand in, even when Magnus refused to participate. It had been weeks this time. Magnus had blocked her and thought that maybe, finally, she had moved on; that she had grown tired of this game she played with him and finally moved on to something else, someone else, _anyone_ else.

Magnus stared blankly at the text on his screen and he knew all at once that that was not true. He’d tried everything. He’d called the police in the beginning. He’d gotten every restraining order he could but none of it mattered. Magnus knew what Camille did. The police weren’t going to stop her, they weren’t even going to slow her down. He’s tried talking to her, as useless as that was. He’d hoped in the beginning that maybe once it all blew over, he and Camille could remain friends.

He thought that maybe after she’d calm down, she would see reason and all this crazy, incomprehensible shit that she had pulled would suddenly fall into a different light and just maybe, she would apologize. He thought maybe they could live in a world where they sent each other Christmas cards and Magnus called her to vent about the obnoxious date he’d gone on the night before. Maybe, they could go out and get drinks every few months and catch up.

That fantasy universe just seemed to be getting farther and farther away though. Instead, things just seemed to keep getting worse. Camille didn’t seem to be moving on and forgetting about him, she wasn’t seeing the error of her ways and fixing herself. She just-

Magnus looked up suddenly, his phone still open in his hand showing the conversation with the unnamed contact that could only be one person. “No, fuck, _fuck-_ ” Magnus darted forward, his open palm slammed into the subway doors that had just closed the moment before he’d looked up.

A couple of people from inside glanced at him sympathetically as the train started moving and rushed past without Magnus inside, his hand still hovering in the air an inch away from the blurring metal, as if he could somehow will the train to stop and let him on like every poor sap that had missed a train in this city at some point.

Waking up late, not having time to stop for his coffee, _Camille_ -

How was it that Camille always managed to ruin his day? Magnus laughed softly but it truly wasn’t funny, not even a little bit. Magnus stood for a moment, not moving even though it would be nearly twenty minutes before the next train came and he was accomplishing nothing by waiting there. He saw a flash of how the rest of his day would go; He would get to work, now extremely late without the notes or the paperwork he needed to truly get anything done. He would angrily work on what he could for an hour before he finally gave up and left to get some coffee. He’d go back with nearly half his day gone and all the while, he’d be thinking about Camille. Then he’d go home finish his day off by drinking enough vodka to tranquilize a horse.

Magnus took in a deep breath and then sighed. He wasn’t sure if he’d go into work after but the least he could do was try to turn his day around. Work would be there for him later but they’d run out of his donuts eventually and their coffee was always the best early in the morning. Magnus pulled his bag higher up on his shoulder. He closed his phone and tried to shove the text from Camille out of his mind and then he turned around and sprinted up the steps into the pale morning light with a new found determination in his step.

He wasn’t going to let Camille Belcourt ruin another one of his days. He was going to get a latte. Work and Camille be damned, he was going to have a good day.

 

Magnus’ favorite coffee shop was just as bright and inviting as it had been when he’d rushed by a half an hour earlier; only this time instead of glancing in longingly, Magnus stepped inside and breathed in the warm smell of honey, coffee and vanilla. He wasn’t quite sure what it was about this coffee shop specifically. He’d found it when he and Ragnor had finally settled in the states after venturing off to places he could hardly remember the name of now. It was small and mostly unnoticed by the general public of New York. It wasn’t written about nor did it catch the attention of anyone important but the coffee was always perfectly roasted and it’s unseen glory meant that they almost always had Magnus’ favorite pastries when he came in.

It was also one of the only places in New York that had remained untainted in the wake of Camille’s destruction. He had never taken her there. Magnus wasn’t even sure why. Maybe, some part of him had known what was to come and had decided to keep Camille away from the place that he had grown so fond of, or perhaps they’d just never made the time. They hadn’t exactly spent all of their nights out exploring the town. Most of their time had been spent f-

-inside. They’d spent most of their time inside.

Regardless, Magnus was happy that he had kept this one place safe from the memories of her. He found himself wishing that he _had_ remembered to bring his work, so he could curl up in the corner where the sun was just starting to rise over the city and stream into the windows and work on it. He supposed a latte was good enough though. Nothing beat a warm caramel latte. Except maybe-

Magnus stepped into line to order and his eyes caught instantly on the gorgeous man that was waiting in front of him. The man’s eyes flashed across his phone, to the menu and then back down, his eyebrows pulled together in an adorably distressed expression. His black hair was tousled from the wind outside and Magnus could see the tight tendon in his neck and a dark black tattoo just barely peeking out of the shirt he was wearing.

For a while, Magnus had thought his heart was so broken he’d never lust over another person again but Magnus had learned in the months after their break up that this was completely and utterly untrue. Magnus wanted to bite and suck down the man’s neck until he fell apart beneath him. He wondered what he’d look like sprawled out in his bed, naked and flustered.

He wondered who he was ordering for. The man read down his list, reading out three separate and equally complex orders before he seemed to get to his own and panic. “-and uh, I’ll take a-” Magnus realized suddenly that the man had been so worried about ordering everyone’s drink right that he hadn’t thought at all about what he wanted for himself and a small, excited smile stretched across Magnus’ face.

The universe was too good to him. Truly, he had been blessed with handsome, dark-haired men in his path and just the perfect opportunity for Magnus to step in and say something. It seemed his morning was already looking better. Ragnor would have scoffed if he could have seen him; all it took was a handsome man for every other thought to fly from Magnus’ mind.

He stepped forward to the man’s side and met his frantic confused gaze with one that was perhaps a tad too delighted, though the man seemed far too panicked that he was holding up the small line to really notice. “A mocha latte?” Magnus offered, knowing that that was their special all week. “It’s _very_ good.” He assured him, his hand falling in a casual, friendly touch against the man’s elbow.

“Uh-” The man glanced between Magnus and the barista waiting patiently behind the counter before blurting out a panic-stricken, “Sure! Medium, please-” His eyes darted back over to Magnus, seeming just for the first time to notice Magnus’ warm hand still resting against his arm and the smile on Magnus’ face that perhaps gave away exactly what he was thinking about.

Magnus let his hand drop. Even though they had only made contact for a matter of seconds, Magnus had felt how muscular and firm that arm was and how it had tensed under his touch. Tall, dark and handsome had to go to the gym, perhaps every day. God, that was a sight Magnus would love to see. He could just imagine his toned sweaty chest as he lifted weights or used that thing that you pull down, the one that forced you to show off every muscle in one single action-

The man was most likely straight but that didn’t mean Magnus couldn’t drool over him during their short encounter in his favorite place. He was having a bad day, after all. Maybe, as they waited for their drinks Magnus could strike up a friendly conversation and fantasies about him until he inevitably brought up his equally as athletic girlfriend and ruined it.

“Anything else?” The barista asked after punching in his last order.

“Can I ah-” The man flushed and glanced between the barista and Magnus once again, nervously, though he seemed nervous about something other than the line behind them this time. “Can I buy you something too?” He finally asked a touch quieter, as if Magnus could possibly turn town such a delightfully surprising offer.

Perhaps, the universe had blessed Magnus more than he thought.

Magnus blinked in surprise and then grinned at the offer, unable to contain his simple enthusiasm at the turn of events. “That would be wonderful. A caramel latte, medium please.” Magnus met the man's eyes again (a beautiful hazel, he noted gleefully) and the man looked back at him with an almost shy but no less enthusiastic gaze. Magnus wondered for a moment what that was about.

The man chuckled and his cheeks flushed a soft pink as he looked away to slide his card over the counter. As the barista handed his receipt back, they stepped aside and let the queue of people waiting move forward, a half awkward half comfortable silence falling over them.

“Magnus.” He announced into it, utterly unswayed. “My name is Magnus- Magnus Bane.” He said, holding his ring-clad hand out to meet the only slightly taller man’s. “Thank you for the drink, by the way.” He said smoothly, biting the corner of his lip to try and bite down the smile that showed exactly how charmed he was by this entire situation. It had been a while since someone had offered to buy him a drink. It had been even longer since he’d accepted.

“You’re welcome! I’m ah- Alec! I’m Alec.” He said, jolting suddenly with a nervous laugh to grab Magnus’ hand, as if he realized he had failed to respond correctly and had jumped too suddenly to react. “Alexander Lightwood.” He explained further, dropping Magnus’ hand and shuffling awkwardly, placing his hands into his pockets and then pulling them back out again almost instantly.

_Alexander Lightwood_. Magnus’ mouth practically watered at the sound of it. He had to clench his jaw for a moment to stop himself from repeating it out loud, just so he could hear it coming out of his mouth. _Alexander Lightwood_. Was there ever a more sensual name than that?

“So, ah-” _Alexander_ shuffled, his fingers fluttering anxiously where they were at his sides once again, seeming as if he was fumbling physically and mentally for something to say. “Do you come here often?” He asked, wincing instantly as if he recognized how horribly cliche that question was the moment it came out of his mouth.

“I do, actually.” Magnus said, cutting in before Alexander could spiral any further. “This is my favorite cafe in the entire city. Is this your first time here?” He asked, stepping a little closer to him under the ruse of taking up less space as more people joined them waiting. Magnus felt Alec’s arm brush just slightly against his and for a moment, it almost looked like the taller man was going to choke at the simple contact.

Magnus didn’t have enough time to contemplate exactly why he found that so endearing.

“Yeah!” He rushed out, his eyes wide in unadulterated panic. “Uh- My sister- She likes this place and-” He fumbled around his words like he had suddenly forgotten how to speak just because Magnus had touched him again. “It was- It was on the way…” He finished, trailing his sentence off like he had gotten lost in whatever he was seeing in Magnus’ face. “Are their pastries good?” He blurted out suddenly, jumping to look forward in a motion that Magnus imagined an alien would make, if they were trying to look casual and blend in like a human.

“They are.” He answered easily, as if he hadn’t noticed the man’s nervous, frantic behavior. Magnus wondered if he was smoother under normal circumstances or if he did this to every charming man who smiled just a bit too wide at him. He couldn’t even imagine how he’d react if Magnus slid him one of his best pick up lines, his favorite being a one-liner about sucking cock. He thought Alec just might stop breathing right there. “Their puff pastries are to die for and their baklava is heavenly but it doesn’t look like they have it today.”

They talked about pastries for a moment, Alec relaxing a bit as he seemed to have something to focus on and talk about if all else failed. Magnus wondered if he was always this nervous or if maybe, it was because of him. He found himself hoping that it was the second.

A moment later, the barista places their tray of drinks onto the counter and Alec jumped to grab them, seeming to dive at the opportunity to have something, _anything_ to do with his hands. He fumbled with the tray for a moment, almost as if he’d dropped it in his haste to look casual but at the last second he managed to hold it upright and then act as if it hadn’t happened.

“Uh, can I-” Alec stumbled, his eyes widening a fraction of an inch as he seemed to realize he hadn’t handed Magnus his drink. He grabbed it off the tray and held it out to him to take. “Do you think I could walk you out?” He asked sheepishly, seeming equally as nervous as he had when he’d offered to buy Magnus a drink, as if he was sure that this time Magnus would turn him down.

“That would be lovely.” Magnus murmured, taking the warm cup from his hands with a soft ‘thank you’ and a not so subtle brush of their fingers. He wished that he had actually taken the time to do his make up this morning and not just thrown on his contacts and some eyeshadow and rushed out the door. Alexander certainly didn’t seem to mind though, much to Magnus’ delight.

They made their way out the cafe doors and into the chilled but sunny street that met them outside. Rain sprinkled down, one of the first rainfalls of spring that hadn’t come down half frozen with the reminisce of winter. Magnus wondered when exactly the seasons had changed without him noticing.

They took a few steps away from the door and out onto the sidewalk. Alec opened his mouth once and then closed it just to open it again, as if he was struggling to get himself to say something he desperately wanted too. “Could I- Do you think I could get your number?” He asked finally, turning to face Magnus with an expression that obviously expected nothing but rejection. “Unless you’re…”

He trailed off, his statement unfinished; _Unless you’re taken, unless you don’t want too, unless I completely misread this situation._ Magnus wondered, absently, who exactly had lead this man to believe that he had nothing to offer.

“I would love that.” He said simply, unable to control the burst of happiness that came through his chest as the anxious man before him smiled a pure, unabashed grin. Magnus already thought that he was beautiful but even more so when he smiled like that. He wished he’d do it more often. “Here-” Magnus reached forward and plucked the latte that he had chosen for Alec out of the tray. With one hand balancing both drinks, he grabbed a dark marker out of the top of his bag and managed to write his number in looping, elegant curves on Alec’s cup. Below it, he signed simply, ‘Magnus-’ and a heart that was at least three times bigger than anything else.

Magnus slid the cup back into its place and met Alec’s happy, gleeful smile with a laugh. “Call me.” He said, smiling widely at Alec’s eager nod.

“I will!” Alec said, almost breathlessly. He stared at Magnus with eyes lit up with excitement, like a kid on Christmas, nothing like the shy, nervous man that Magnus had just met a moment before. Magnus wondered if he looked just as hopelessly charmed as this stranger did but he knew that was a stupid question because he could feel it all across his face.

Magnus couldn’t remember the last time that he had been this excited for a man to call him. “You better go before those drinks get cold.” Magnus murmured, managing to force his smile down to a soft quirk of the lips. “-or I have the feeling someone is going to be very upset with you.”

Alec glanced down to the drinks in his hands and blinked in surprise, as if he’d forgotten completely about why he had even been in the coffee shop in the first place. “Yeah.” He agreed, far less excited than he had been a moment before. “You’re right, I should.” He looked up at Magnus and stared for a second, as if he wasn’t quite ready to walk away but didn’t know what else to say either; though, perhaps Magnus was projecting. “It was nice to meet you.” He said finally, holding the cups in his hand up a little higher as he continued, “I’ll call you. Maybe, we can go out sometime.”

“I’ll be very disappointed if you don’t.” Magnus responded smoothly. “It was lovely to run into you, Alexander.” _God_ , if that name didn’t just roll right off his tongue perfectly. “Thank you for the drink.” He held it a little higher as he spoke.

Alec nodded, already backing up a few steps but not turning around yet, as if he didn’t want to look away. “Of course!” He stared for a moment longer before finally spitting out, “Goodbye, Magnus.”  

As he turned and started walking in the opposite direction, Magnus started walking in his as well. He had made it maybe ten steps when behind him, he heard a crash and spun around just in time to see Alec trip and drop the entire tray of drinks he’d been holding, his head snapping forward as if he’d been trying to look back and watch Magnus go.

Each cup burst open as it hit the ground, splattering the man’s legs in it. Magnus stopped for a moment and took a concerned step towards him before turning back and deciding to keep walking, pretending as if he hadn’t seen the embarrassing fall at all.

As he turned the corner and out of sight, he hoped Alec at least remembered to keep the cup with his number.

 

Magnus bounded up the steps to his apartment three at a time. He felt giddy for some reason, like a child that had just been let out of school for the long expanse of summer, though he hadn’t known that feeling in years. Magnus found himself grinning, glancing down at his phone every few minutes waiting for a text to appear that hadn’t yet.

In the back of his mind, he was wondering why exactly he felt this excited about a man he had just met, a man he had talked too for less than _five minutes_ but in the forefront of his mind, he was reliving the sight of that beautifully handsome man tripping over his toned legs and dropping all the coffee he’d just bought because he’d been too busy looking back at Magnus to watch him go.

Even the thought of it brought a smile to Magnus’ face. He couldn’t help it. He felt bad, sure. He’d have felt so embarrassed if that had happened to him. He wondered if he’d had to turn around and order the drinks all over again, so he wouldn’t disappoint the people wherever he was going. He wondered if he’d stood in line again and thought about him. He wondered when he’d text him.

Most of all though, he was glad he’d given Alec his number and not the other way around because there was no way he’d be able to hold off texting him the moment they’d stepped out of each others sight (part of him hoped that Alec did not have more self-restraint than he did. Most of him did actually).

Magnus reached his hallway and bounded past his apartment door for a few large steps before he blinked and turned around, too preoccupied to even realize he’d reached the place he lived for the past two years. Magnus glanced at his phone screen one more time (a photo of he and Ragnor, standing before a cliff face in Greece) and frowned softly before letting it fall back into his pocket.

How long had it taken him to get home? Twenty minutes? Alec might still be waiting in line to reorder his coffee. Besides, he had clearly been going somewhere with drinks for someone. He might not even text him tonight- wasn’t the rule two days?

Magnus grabbed his keys and slid his brightly painted apartment key into the lock before frowning as he heard his door click and lock shut, as if it had already been unlocked when he’d tried. Magnus knew that he locked his door before he left. He lived in a relatively safe neighborhood but he still lived in _New York_ and with quite a few bridges he was waiting to be burned, he wasn’t stupid enough to forget to lock it as he left.

Magnus twisted the key again and this time, when he tried at the door handle it moved. His first thought was rather innocent, considering everything. He still had quite a few of Camille’s things. He’d changed the lock but he knew that if she really wanted too, she’d get inside. Maybe, she’d just come to get her stuff when she knew Magnus would be at work. Maybe, that was what had set her off just a few hours before and made her text Magnus those nasty things.

When he pushed open the door though, he was not greeted with the sight of his apartment destroyed (as he was sure Camille would do, just to let him know it was her), nor was Camille standing on the other side waiting for him.

Instead... Magnus was met with the sight of Simon Lewis, shuffling awkward in the corner of his exceptionally well-decorated apartment, as if he’d been shoved there and told not to move or perhaps, to stay out of the way. He looked up and met Magnus’ eyes with a panicked, startled expression. “Uh-” His mouth opened and his eyes darted down the hallway to the right, as if he wanted Magnus to know he hadn’t broken into his apartment on his own but couldn’t get the words out. “I didn’t- Raphael’s-”

He started twice and then Magnus cut him off with a dismissive wave that made Simon instantly snap his mouth shut, looking relieved but still a little anxious. If Simon was in his apartment unannounced, it meant that Raphael was as well and it also meant that something had happened.

Simon was nervous but Magnus always got the feeling that he made Raphael’s boyfriend nervous anyway. So, he didn’t exactly take that as a sign of anything specific.

Magnus walked forward and looked down the hallway that Simon gestured at, the one that went through the kitchen and led to his bedroom and the bathroom. At first, he didn’t see anything but then he heard a slam as if someone had been pushed into the wall or had dropped something exceptionally heavy. He darted down the hallway with a quickened but not very panicked paced.

He pushed open his bedroom door- caught sight of his still messy canopy bed that he had failed to straighten up that morning in his haste to get to work, his silk robe still sprawled across the floor where he’d dropped it and the dark red stain of wine that had been dropped on the gray rug and never cleaned- Then, he saw Raphael or at least his back facing a man that Magnus did not recognize who was unconscious on the floor, slumped against the wall.

Magnus’ stomach dropped more in concern than true worry. Clearly, Raphael was handling whatever had happened here but Magnus couldn’t understand what it was. He couldn’t understand why this man Raphael was obviously reacting so negatively to was in his home, nor could he understand how Raphael and Simon had ended up here and he certainly couldn’t understand how this had all happen in the short hour and a half that he was gone from his home.

It was only seven in the morning. This was far too much to be happening this early. Who in the world would wake up this early to what- break into Magnus’ apartment? Why were Raphael and Simon even awake now? Questions raced through Magnus’ mind but deep down, he knew that it had to have something to do with Camille. It always did.

Magnus stared absently for a long moment. Raphael turned back to look at him and said something to him about grabbing restraints from his closet (that he had for.. recreational reasons) but just as he did, Magnus felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He jumped to grab it before he could even rationally think about what he was doing or where his attention really should be. He felt his heart flutter in his chest the second he saw an unknown number on his screen and when he read the message, he couldn’t help the wide grin that stretched across his face.

_‘Hey, it’s Alec. We met at the coffee shop. If you’re not busy, would you like to meet for dinner sometime? I’m free tomorrow, if that's not being too forward.’_

Across from him, Raphael scoffed and turned his attention back to the man. He mumbled something in Spanish about Magnus being a senseless idiot but Magnus almost couldn’t hear him. He slid his phone into his pocket and walked over to his closet with a grin on his face, already rehearsing what he was going to respond with when he got the chance.

Raphael, Simon and the unconscious man stayed in his apartment for a little over an hour but Magnus could think of nothing the entire time other than the fact that he had a date tomorrow with a handsome, clumsy man named Alexander.

Magnus couldn’t have been happier that he’d skipped work that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. That's chapter one. Wrap it up, boys.
> 
> If you've read any of my past stories that aren't one-shots (the few that exist) you'd know that I tend to start things and not finish but I can say with absolute confidence that this story will be finished. This isn't something that I thought of last night and decided to write. I'm not exaggerating when I say this story has been in the works for over a year, even if I'm just starting to write it. I can't say when but this story will be finished unless something happens that physically stops me from finishing it. 
> 
> I'll try to update as soon as possible. You can follow me on tumblr at 'Facialteeth' if you'd like more specific updates (or just wanna talk). 
> 
> Shout out to @homo-sandwich (on tumblr) for starting the roleplay that led to this story so long ago, choosing the chapter titles and generally helping form everything that this universe entails. Shout out to @intezaarlily (also on tumblr) for beta reading this chapter and generally being supportive and a cool person. 
> 
> If you guys would like to leave comments and let me know what you thought, I'd be eternally grateful. I can't express how excited I am to be writing this fic and I'm so excited to see what everyone thinks! I haven't been this excited for something since... this fic was a seed of an idea and I was anxious to work on it.


	2. Lilac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec plan their first date but don’t quite make it there.
> 
> Raphael worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, so I really tried to cap the chapters off at 5,000 words but this one is even longer than the last! So... I guess this is just how long the chapters will be. I hope it's not too long. I know some people that write chapters far longer than this and some that write chapters far shorter, so I'm never really sure whats too long.
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoy this very fluffy chapter!

Magnus had to physically stop himself from bouncing where he stood before Raphael, nodding to the words he said that he couldn’t really hear. It wasn’t that Magnus didn’t care but it was just that Magnus had heard this same speech so many times before, especially in the past few weeks. Raphael told him that he needed to be careful. He told him that needed to pay more attention to his surroundings, that he needed to take things more seriously.

They had very different ways of viewing the world, he and Raphael. Raphael lived in a world where everyone was just a moment away from snapping and becoming the worst version of themselves. He lived in a world where any person, if pushed far enough, was capable of the worst that humanity had to offer.

Magnus lived in reality. He saw the bad and the good, while Raphael seemed to favor one side. Magnus saw horrible people and he saw the good that was in them, no matter how far down it was shoved. Magnus saw the best in people but he also saw the moments where their darkness bled through to the surface.

Magnus knew that Camille Belcourt was not a good person but he also had seen the good that was in her. He wouldn’t have loved her otherwise. He knew better than anyone what Camille was capable of and he knew what she was not.

Camille wouldn’t try to hurt him, not really. She’d go out of her way to make his life miserable if she had the means of doing so but physically, she wouldn’t hurt him or set out to kill him no matter what Raphael believed. She wasn’t that awful of a person but Magnus understood why Raphael thought she was, so he grit his teeth and tried to stop himself from impatiently bouncing on his toes as he nodded seriously, his fingers twitching to grab his phone where it was heavy in his pocket.

“You’re not even listening.” Raphael snapped, his hands held angry at his sides. Simon stood next to him, biting his lip as he glanced worriedly between the two of them; his hand resting softly against Raphael’s elbow as if to calm him down. “You need to take this more seriously, Magnus. He had a _gun_.”

Magnus had to stop himself from sighing. “You have a gun on you most of the time.” He responded easily. “We live in a concealed carry state, that doesn’t mean much Raph. Besides, he didn’t try to attack me, did he?” Magnus posed, raising an eyebrow almost to himself.

“He didn’t have a chance too!” Raphael snapped, sounding very close to running out of patience.

Magnus carried on easily, as if Raphael hadn’t interrupted him at all. “I have so much of her stuff. She probably just sent her new boyfriend to get it or _maybe_ even to threaten me-” He admitted, emphasising the key word maybe. “-but not everything is a murder scheme. Not everything is as awful as you imagine it to be.”

“Magnus, I’ve seen her-”

“Besides-” Magnus cut in before he could carry on again. “ _I_ have work to do today so I can go on a date with a lovely man tomorrow.” Raphael fell silent as Magnus spoke but his eyes were hard. He stared at Magnus like he was trying to pierce through his head with the strength of it. Magnus was use to Raphael’s angry face though. “I’ll lock my door.” He continued a touch softer. “I appreciate the concern and your help today but you have nothing else to worry about here.”

Raphael stared at him, hard and unrelenting. Magnus could tell that he didn’t want to let it go but he could probably also tell that there was nothing he could say to Magnus to change his point of view on this. He had already tried countless time, much to his own aggravation.

When he finally opened his mouth again, he let the conversation drop even though it was very clear he hadn’t moved on. Magnus appreciated it. “Who’s your date?” He asked finally, trying to look less interested than he truly was. It was a thing between them; Magnus pretended he didn’t know Simon’s name even though they had been dating for well over a year and Raphael pretended that he thought everyone Magnus dated was an abomination. Or well, maybe that had just been Camille.  
“His name is Alexander.” Magnus said, thankful for the change in conversation. “He’s very sweet- I met him this morning and I’ll tell you all about the date tomorrow if you _leave_ so I can get my _work done_ and actually _go_.”

Raphael’s mouth flicked in a soft, rather uncharacteristic smile. “Dios, you’re a sucker for a pretty name, aren’t you?” He murmured, turning towards his boyfriend and taking the hand that had been resting anxiously on his arm for a while now.

Simon relaxed, seeming almost as thankful for the sudden shift in conversation as Magnus was. Magnus hadn’t exactly understood what drew Simon and Raphael together when he’d first met the shorter man but he’d understood the first time he’d seen the way they looked at each other. Simon looked at Raphael like he was the most beautiful person in the world and even Raphael’s cold uncaring demeanor seemed to melt just somewhat when he looked back at him.

He thought of it now as he watched Simon ease into his boyfriend’s side, comforted by the fact that it no longer looked like Raphael was going to storm out.

Magnus was happy that Raphael had someone like Simon to care about him when he was busy caring about everyone else but he was especially happy for it right now because he’d feel rather bad kicking Raphael out otherwise. “I am.” He murmured, moving to grab the door handle and pull it open in a pointed gesture. “He has a _lovely_ face as well; I’m really hoping that I get to kiss it tomorrow, if you’d like to leave my apartment now.” He said, leaning softly against the open door.

Raphael scoffed quietly and Simon smiled as they moved to _finally_ walk out. Magnus was happy at least that they weren’t leaving on an angry note. Raphael was always so stubborn when he was angry about something. “Call me tomorrow.”  Raphael said finally, looking back at Magnus from out in the hallway.

Magnus nodded seriously. “Of course. You’ll have to make sure he’s not secretly an assassin, hm?”

Raphael rolled his eyes and turned to leave without another word but they both knew that Magnus would actually call him tomorrow after his date. Raphael would scoff as he listened to him recount every detail but he’d always answer when he called again and he’d always listen, even if he acted annoyed through the whole thing. They had their system completely figured out.

Simon turned when they reached a few steps down the hallway and waved before quickly turning back to his boyfriend. Magnus got the feeling that he made Simon a little nervous but he wasn’t quite sure why that was. He also got the feeling that Simon was a nervous person in general, so he took it with a grain of salt and waved back, moving to close his door.

Just before he did though, he saw Raphael take Simon’s hand and press his lips against the back of it when he must have thought Magnus had already turned away. That was another thing that they had both silently agreed to never talk about outloud; That Raphael Santiago actually did in fact have a heart, at least when it came to Simon Lewis.

Magnus pulled his phone out of his pocket and finally texted Alec back, saying that yes, he’d love to meet for dinner tomorrow! Then, he put the kettle on the stove and thought about the mountain of paperwork waiting for him on his desk. He was a tad less enthusiastic about that but if he was skipping work tomorrow too, he really should try to get _something_ done on his impromptu day off.

Magnus wondered if Alexander was doing something exciting for the rest of the day. He wondered if he was having trouble focusing too, wherever he was. He wondered if he was thinking about him.

 

Before Magnus could even blink, hours had gone by and he found himself sitting in his dark living room with the sun far beyond the horizon, though he hadn’t bothered to move and try turn a light on. Truthfully, he hadn’t quite noticed how dark it had gotten until he looked up from his phone, startled to see how things had changed without him noticing.

It was nearly nine at night and Magnus had successfully wasted almost all of what was suppose to be a very productive day off, though the blame couldn’t quite fall on Magnus alone for that one. All day, Magnus had been distracted by a handsome young man who seemed determined to capture Magnus’ attention and win his affection.

He was doing a fairly good job at it already.

That one text message Magnus had sent saying he’d _love_ to meet with him tomorrow had turned into a conversation about where they’d go to eat and then anything and everything they could think of to talk about.

Soon, Magnus had been stretched out on the couch, the pile of work he’d been so sure he’d get through laying abandoned on the coffee table before him, hardly even touched. Magnus’ mind couldn’t have been farther away from the fact that he had deadlines approaching, instead all of his attention was just focused on this man and _god_ , he seemed too good to be true.

He was a chef. He’d gone to law school at his parents request and dropped out a year in when he realized how much he hated it. Now, he worked in a little diner that he said wasn’t anything special but he hoped someday he’d own his own restaurant.

Magnus was a sucker for a man who could cook, especially considering the fact that he was down right dreadful at it. There was nothing more romantic than a homemade dinner.

Alec _did_ frequent the gym, Magnus learned. In fact, he went almost every single day before work. He’d even been into fighting but he’d stopped a little while ago. Instead, he helped train his brother who had managed to fight semi professionally (Magnus hadn’t even pretended to understand half of that conversation but the thought of Alec wrestling some other sweaty man to the ground? Now, that was something Magnus could appreciate).

In return, Magnus had told Alec about his rather boring job at the museum, skimping on the details about how he ran tours and did translating, even though Alec seemed perfectly interested. He told Alec about the languages he’d studied and how he and Ragnor had even been invited on excavations, often too far away countries to point out things worth lugging back from hard to reach places. Magnus flaunted the more interesting parts of his life but who doesn’t, when they’re trying to impress someone?

They talked for hours upon hours and everytime Mannus was sure the conversation was finally fizzing out, one of them said something and Magnus forgot completely that he ever thought they’d stop talking. Magnus must have sat there for hours, watching those little three dots as Alec typed back to him.

At one point, Magnus even joked that they should save something to talk about on their date and disappointingly, Alec had agreed. For a moment, Magnus had sat there blinking into the nothingness that followed Alec’s, ‘ _You’re right, we should._ ’

He hadn’t really meant that he wanted them to stop talking but they had been talking for so long now. Alec had to be getting tired or at least sick of texting him. He probably had to get ready for bed or maybe, like Magnus, he actually had stuff he should do before going to sleep-

Magnus’ thoughts spiraled on themselves for a few short moments before he finally saw Alec typing again and a second later the words appeared and Magnus’ heart almost burst in his chest:

_‘You’re just so easy to talk too.’_

_‘Maybe we should call instead… and then you can try to work at the same time and not worry about texting back.’_

So, of course Magnus had called him instantly. Alec sounded nervous for a few seconds, like he hadn’t really expected Magnus to want to call him after texting for so long but Magnus didn’t even have a moment to worry about that before they’d both melted into the conversation again, except this time Magnus could hear Alec’s warm laughter in his ears and he could hear the quiet chuckles and the way his voice shook as he tried to talk to Magnus through his obvious amusement.

Magnus didn’t think he’d ever wanted to keep talking to someone more in his entire life. He wasn’t worried about what he was saying or the fact that he had just met this man. He just spoke and everytime he thought he said something perhaps he shouldn’t have, Alec was right there, laughing or chiming in with his own equally as embarrassing story.

Something about talking to him just put Magnus at ease and Magnus couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.

Finally, at nearly eleven o’clock when they’d been talking for over an hour, Magnus paused in the lull between the story he’d told and Alec’s laughter in his ear and he’d asked, almost hesitantly, “So, are you doing anything tonight? Are you.. Getting up early tomorrow?”

Alec responded instantly that no, he was completely free and they had both fallen silent. For perhaps one of the first times that night, Magnus hesitated before he spoke. They were meeting tomorrow. They had a lovely reasonable timed date planned at some italian restaurant that Alec promised was the best. Perhaps he should let it go, end the phone call and get some sleep for tomorrow.

When he actually opened his mouth though, none of that is what came out, “Would you want to come over?” He asked softly. “I know it’s late but we’re talking anyway and we can…” Magnus faltered for a moment. He hadn’t exactly thought about what they could do before he asked. He just knew that he wanted Alec to be there. “-watch a movie or something. I know how to make quite a mean cocktail.” He offered finally with a half nervous laugh.

Alec didn’t answer for a second and Magnus felt his heart drop in his chest. He’d pushed it too far. They had been getting along so well, everything had felt perfect and then Magnus had _ruined_ it, like he always seemed too. They’d only met today, of course Alec didn’t want to come over to his apartment this late. It was down right _weird_ that Magnus had even invited him, especially when they had a date planned the next day. “I mean-” Magnus scrambled, trying desperately to come up with some way to backtrack and take it back when Alec finally spoke.

“Yeah.” He said softly, almost out of breath like he’d forgotten how to breath when Magnus asked him. “I’d love that. Are you sure that's alright? It’s late, you said that you have work to do-” Alec rushed out, sounding worried, hopeful and disbelieving; as if he couldn’t believe that Magnus had wanted to see him so much he’d invite him over so late.

Magnus couldn’t believe it either. “No, it’s fine!” He insisted quickly, a soft unconscious smile stretching across his face as he sat up. “I’ll have time to do it later, I probably wasn’t going to do it anyway.” He explained, frantic to convince him it was fine, as if he’d possible change his mind and not come. “I’d like to see you again.” He spit out before he could reconsider his words and try to sound less eager than he truly was.

They both fell silent for a beat and when Alec spoke again, Magnus could hear the smile on his face, clear enough that he could almost imagine it. “Yeah! I’d like to see you too, I’ll- Yeah! Do you want to send me your address or-”

Magnus laughed softly at the giddy excited tone in Alec’s voice and agreed. “Yeah, I’ll send it to you and- Well, I’ll see you soon?” He asked hopefully.

Alec responded without a moment of hesitation, sounding as if he was already standing up and moving to grab his stuff on the other end. “Yeah! I’ll see you soon! Ah-” He broke off for a second in an excited quiet laugh, “Bye, Magnus!”

They sat for a moment in almost energetic silence. Magnus wasn’t quite sure who hung up first but eventually, one of them did it and Magnus found himself sitting on the couch, biting his lip with a wide infectious smile stretching across his face.

He didn’t want to get too excited. They had only known each other for a single day but Magnus couldn’t deny that something about this situation just felt… right.

Maybe, they wouldn’t make any impact on each other at all. Maybe, Magnus would look back on this encounter as just another unimportant moment in his life. Maybe, he wouldn't even remember Alec at all but Magnus found it hard to focus on any of that right now. He found himself not caring what the future brought them. He was just thinking about how perfect Alec’s laugh sounded in his ears, how beautiful his smile had been and how he couldn’t wait to see it again.

Magnus was getting ahead of himself. Magnus _was_ too excited but the future be damned. Magnus was happy. He was hopeful. He was excited and most of all, he couldn’t wait for Alec to show up at his door. It was hard to care about anything else when he was just thinking about that.

 

In the half an hour it took for Alec to show up at his door, Magnus gathered all his work from the coffee table and dumped it all unceremoniously onto his desk before closing his bedroom door, promptly sealing away the mess beyond. He fixed the pillows and the throw blanket on the couch. He pushed everything he’d had out on the kitchen counter- the blender, the broken toaster, the three separate book he’d been reading on the fall of rome months ago- into the corner and he’d quickly shut the over head lights off and turned on his softer, more atmospheric lamps before he heard a knock at the door.

Magnus’ apartment was decorated in a mesh of different styles. He loved decorating and he’d fallen in love with so many different styles but he didn’t have the space to truly represent them all, so his apartment had become a blend of all the aesthetics Magnus had grown to love over the years. He had painted the living room a nice rustic tan to go well with the book shelves he’d bought but then he’d painted his kitchen a soft green to match the blue stone countertops and the green tinted espresso maker that he’d purchased on a whim and never learned how to use.

He had lovely wood floor put down in the living room but he’d also thrown a red shag carpet over it because he’d seen it in a thrift store and hadn’t been able to pass it up. He’d gotten rid of one of the couches end tables and instead has a life size replica of the famous Venus De Milo, which didn’t really go with anything but it was an _exact_ replica- how exactly could he throw it out?

Even his _curtians_ didn’t match. He had one vintage lilac pattern on one side and a simplistic gray scale design hanging on the other side because he’d put them both up to decide and then had never made the choice. He had a tiny roman cathedral next to his bonsai tree and ancient egyption monolith, taking up all the space on the one end table that he had left.

Magnus knew his apartment looked good. He wouldn’t be able to relax in a space that he didn’t like but regardless, Magnus knew that it looked odd to say the least. It almost looked like a designer had been challenged to use as many different themes and eras as they could, while also making the apartment look somewhat cohesive. Standing there, about to open the door and let Alec in, Magnus realized for the first time how chaotic his space would look to an outsider and he cringed.

All the times Ragnor told him that his apartment looked like a second hand store came flooding back to him. Though, Ragnor’ taste in decorating resembled a hotel or one of those fancy elevators, Magnus reasoned to himself. He’d much rather his space look like this. At the very least, there was always a conversation topic to find.

Magnus grab the door handle, figuring he couldn’t loiter any longer frantically thinking about his taste in decor. Magnus felt the swell of excitement starting to build up in his chest again but along with it came a twinge of nervousness. Every fearful thought he’d had when he asked if Alec wanted to come over came flashing back to him but he couldn’t change his mind now and he didn’t want too either.

Magnus was terrified but more than anything, he wanted to see Alec and he wanted to open that door and have him come inside. That meant something but Magnus just wasn’t really sure what yet.

He pulled the door open and for a moment, all he could see was warm hazel eyes looking back at him and the brilliant blinding smile of the man he’d been thinking about all day. Magnus must have looked like an idiot standing there with an awestrick look on his face but he couldn’t seem to find it in himself to mind.

Every thought that had been racing through his head a moment before seemed to melt away. Alec looked… beautiful. He’d changed into a dark blue button up with a tiny white floral print. His hair, which has been an absolutely charming mess that morning, was combed and styled. He wore a stylish leather jacket over it and Magnus found himself wondering, absently, if someone had helped him get dressed because he looked a million times more put together than he had earlier, though Magnus supposed he did as well.

He’d thrown on a soft orange sweater. He’d put his contacts in and he’d even done some light eyeshadow and managed to straighten out his hair. That morning, they’d met as the barest versions of themselves but now, they’d both had a chance to dress up and look more acceptable. Alec had looked beautiful that morning with his messy hair and wrinkled t-shirt but Magnus was a sucker for a nice button up. Perhaps, he was just a sucker for Alec in general.

“Magnus.” Alec breathed out his name like a sigh of disbelief. His eyes were wide and he was a little out of breath, like he’d rushed and panicked his whole way to Magnus’ door.

Magnus understood the feeling. He felt like he hadn’t stopped moving since he’d gotten off the phone with Alexander but now… Magnus felt something in his chest ease up and relax. It was the same feeling he got when he was talking to him on the phone. It was the same feeling he’d had that morning, standing next to him in line. Magnus, almost literally, felt the world around him fade away. He couldn't think about anything at all except this man in front of him and.. Fuck. Magnus realized suddenly that he hadn’t even invited him in.

“Alexander!” Magnus stepped away from the door frame in a half panicked gesture. “Please, come in!” He rushed out, sounding far less casual than he’d intended too when he’d opened his mouth.

Alec stepped inside and managed to tear his eyes away from Magnus long enough to glance around his apartment.

Silently, behind him, Magnus closed the door and scoffed at himself. He felt like a teenager fumbling through a conversation with his crush for the first time. Magnus wondered if Alec felt an ounce of what he was in this moment or if he was alone in this feeling. He wondered if Alec felt as drawn to him as he did to the other man. He wondered if this all meant a lot more to Magnus than it did to Alec. He wondered if he’d be let down at the end of this.

Magnus pushed all of those thoughts away before he could spiral in them. “Can I get you something to drink?” He offered, wanting desperately to have something to do with his hands. He moved, stepping towards the liquor cabinet before Alec could even answer. He needed a drink all of a sudden or he felt like he might just throw up.

Alec turned around and nodded, his eyes widening as Magnus gestured to the exceptionally full case. Magnus had a knack for collecting alcohol or, maybe collecting wasn’t exactly the best word to use. He had a knack for collecting alcohol and then also drinking it all when the whim struck him. None of his fancy bottles ever stayed for long.

Magnus ended up making them both a fruity cocktail, his a bit stronger than he made Alexander’s and as he felt the sorching liquid make its way down his throat, he reminded himself: This was just a date. He and Alexander were stranger and even though Magnus had gotten his hopes up ridiculously fast, the world would not crumble if this date didn’t go well. Magnus would still wake up tomorrow. He’d still have a job. He’d still have his friends. His life wouldn’t have changed one bit.

It was just a date and even if it was his first date since Camille, even if Alec was the first person to elicit any kind of true emotion from him since that woman, it was still just a date. Magnus had been on a lot of those and he’d never been a nervous mess before. He wasn’t going to start now.

Magnus turned around and handed Alec his glass with a smile that looked more at ease than Magnus truly felt and as Alec took a sip of it and choked, nearly spilling his drink as he struggled to catch his breath, Magnus thought that he wasn’t the only one that was a little nervous.

Or perhaps Magnus just made his drinks too strong. He kind of prefered to believe the first.

 

Magnus made them drink after drink as they sat there. At some point, Magnus learned that Alec was more a fan of whiskey than vodka, so Magnus had pulled down the dusty bottle from the top shelf and they’d switched to something stronger.

Magnus didn’t think either of them had exactly planned to get drunk but as they sat there at the counter, hardly noticing how much they were drinking as they both melted into the familiar rhythm of conversation they’d found on the phone, they both probably had a bit too much.

Magnus kept pouring them drinks without thinking about it and they both kept taking them down without protest, which is how only an hour after Alec had gotten there, Magnus found himself just a _little_ impaired.

“I’m just saying-” Alec started, hardly able to get the words out of his mouth without dissolving into laughter. His cheeks were flushed a soft pink that Magnus couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of it. It wasn’t the first time that Magnus had seen Alec blush but right now, for some reason, it looked exceptionally adorable on his face, even if it was somewhat caused by the alcohol Magnus was providing. “There's no way that you got banned from Peru without exactly knowing why!”

Magnus choked on his breath as he suddenly fell back into the conversation they were having. It was so hard to stare at Alec and try to listen to the words he was saying at the same time, especially when he made _that_ happy expression and Magnus promptly forgot everything they were talking about. “If I knew why this would be a far better story!” Magnus insisted, remembering the story he’d been telling before Alec cut him off by laughing so hard he’d almost fallen out of his chair. “I can show you the official letter if you don’t believe me, it’s somewhere in my desk!”Magnus fumbled to get onto his feet, swaying slightly as he intended to walk down the hallway and into his room where he knew that letter was somewhere.

Alec reached out and grabbed Magnus’ arm before Magnus could even attempt to take a step and probably fall on his face in the process, leaving them only a few inches away from each other. “So, you’re saying-” Alec continued, looking up at him now. “-that you’ve done so much stuff worthy of being banned from Peru that you can’t pinpoint exactly what it was that got you banned?” Alec laughed softly in disbelief, his eyes flickering not to subtly down to Magnus’ lips and then back up to his face. “I didn’t take you for a criminal, Magnus.” He murmured, his breath close enough to brush across Magnus’ neck.

“I never did anything untasteful!” Magnus said, swaying slightly with the energy in his voice. Magnus stood for a moment before he suddenly found himself dropping into Alec’s lap rather than back into his chair only a foot away. He wouldn’t have been so bold if he hadn’t been well on his way to being drunk but Alec’s lap was soft and the other man didn’t seem upset with the intrusion at all. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec’s shoulders, bracing himself there. Why had he been getting up anyway when Alec was right here?

“I was never charged with anything, I was just-” Magnus laughed softly, his face so close to Alec’s that he almost felt Alec’s nose brushing against his. “-kicked out of the country and asked not to return.” Magnus said, a happy laugh coming out of his lips as Alec pulled him closer by his waist and held him more firmly on his lap. Magnus was happy Alec was holding him because if he let go, Magnus thought he’d go tumbling to the ground.

“You’re unbelievable, Magnus.” Alec murmured low in his throat, his eyes locked on Magnus’ in something akin to wonder.

How had Magnus possible met this man this morning? Or, yesterday technically. It was well past midnight at this point and Magnus found himself laughing at the thought. They’d known each other for less than twenty four hours, regardless and yet, Magnus felt closer to Alec than he had any person in his entire life. It was partly the alcohol. Even in Magnus’ cloudy mind, he knew that he was drunk and he wasn’t thinking clearly but even before they’d both gotten drunk, Magnus had just felt like Alec was something special.

His lips looked very pretty, Magnus thought distractedly. He reached his fingers out to touch them and marveled at how soft they felt under his fingers. It had nothing to do with the alcohol at that point, Magnus _knew_ that Alec’s lips were the softest lips he’d ever felt in his entire life, possibly the softest lips in the entire world. Magnus wondered if his lips were even half as soft. He wanted to touch them and see but that would mean letting go of Alec and there was no way Magnus was going to do that.

Magnus wanted to kiss him. He wanted to see how soft their lips would feel together. He wanted to know what Alec would taste like. He wanted to know if he’d taste as lovely as he looked. He wondered if Alec was thinking the same thing about him.

Magnus hand fell on Alec’s cheek, holding his warm skin in his palm. He didn’t want to stop touching his lips but exploring them with his mouth seemed like a far better option. They were both drunk, some part of his mind reminded him. They shouldn’t kiss for the first time, not when they were both so impaired but if Magnus asked-

“Are you thinking about my lips?” Magnus blurted out, startling them both with the urgent tone in his voice. “I mean- do you-” Magnus’ voice caught in his throat as Alec stared at him, his eyes pulled together in an adorably confused expression. He was so beautiful no matter what face he was making. What had Magnus been saying? Oh, _kissing_ , right. “Can I kiss you?” He asked, finally managing to get the words out and make some sense.

Alec’s eyes widened in an adorable surprised expression. He almost looked like he was going to cry for a moment and Magnus’ drunk mind frantically tried to think of what he had said that had made Alec sad but then Alec just nodded and any thought of that promptly disappeared because Alec has said _yes_ , meaning he wanted to kiss Magnus as much as he did.

Magnus wasn’t sure who leaned forward first but a moment later, their lips met and Magnus felt his eyes flutter shut on his own accord. Alec’s strong hands were firm on his waist, holding him like he was terrified of letting go. Magnus’ hands found Alec’ soft silky hair and sunk into it, holding him tight under his grasp.

His lips were so soft and gentle. Magnus wanted to shove his tongue down his throat. He wanted to keep kissing him just as soft as he was now. He wanted anything, as long as Alec stayed there and kept kissing him forever.

Maybe, it was the alcohol but in that moment, Magnus didn’t think he’d ever quite had a kiss that felt as wonderful as that one did. He’d never quite loved the feeling of someone’s lips against his as he did Alexander’s. He never wanted that feeling to stop. He thought there wasn’t a more perfect place in the world than Alec’s lap with his hair between his fingers and his lips against his. When Alec lost his footing a moment later and they both tumbled backwards as the barstool tipped, throwing them to the ground, Magnus even found it very hard to care, especially when he landed on top of Alec.

Even if they were on the ground now, his lips were still right there and nothing else seemed to matter. Magnus kissed him again and found that Alec didn’t really seem to mind either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to get the next chapter out sooner than this one but I'm not going to rush it. I'd rather take my time and write something I'm proud of than not. I don't really want to update until I'm one hundred percent satisfied with the chapter but that being said, I'm going to aim to update this in about two weeks.
> 
> I hope it was worth the wait though! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you to my pals that commented last time, you’re all very cool.


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